Why We Say Hallelujah — Zac Poonen

Praise the Lord We thank God that he's on the throne and that's the message that we must always proclaim a very common expression, which is the most common word That Chris all Christians of all denominations use Hallelujah, do you know where?

Hallelujah in the New Testament

The word hallelujah comes in the New Testament it comes frequently in the Psalms and most Christians that I know Live under the old covenant. They don't even have a clue what the new covenant is all about.

One proof is as we have often said they are defeated by sin and the other is They have more understanding of What the book of Psalms says about Hallelujah, not the New Testament. Do you know where hallelujah comes in the New Testament the book of Revelation chapter 19?

It's almost at the end of the New Testament That it occurs for the very first time and so it's good for us to have a look Where it comes most Christians Say hallelujah in a meaningless way. Most people that I've met hallelujah hallelujah glory.

They don't even know what glory means. Amen, it's another meaningless word. I mean means it will be so it's a expression of faith. So Jesus taught us to be careful not to say idle words. He told us don't use meaningless repetition in prayer because that's the mark of heathen people.

So I would say most believers are like the heathen when they meaninglessly say hallelujah or glory or amen. I Think a lot of words we sing in our songs and hymns. If you don't mean them, I Don't know whether you realize you're saying meaningless words to God.

I know in my younger days I did that a lot because I did not have good teachers in the church to teach me To be careful about what I sang. And I had to discover those things myself like many other things in the Christian life.

But if you are serious about God and you really fear him He will reveal these amazing truths to you and it's not really an amazing truth That we had to be careful about the words. We say We need to be very careful about every word that we sing.

That's why personally I never sing a song Where I address God as Jehovah, I Mean when such song I know there are songs like that. And mother sing it. I keep quiet because I don't call God Jehovah. I call him dad or father.

Why do I do that? Because Jesus said Call God father. I Take Jesus word. Seriously. Most Christians do not. I'm just giving you a simple example. When we talk about God we can talk about him as Jehovah.

But when you address him, I don't address him as Jehovah. But I find that most Christians and I think a lot of people in CFC to Do not have sufficient reverence for God to be careful about the words they speak in prayer or in song and Part of the reason could be that they're not really filled with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit brings within us Tremendous reverence for God.

I Never knew what reverence for God was till I was really filled with the Holy Spirit. Because that's what he brings a tremendous reverence for the Father and If that has not come in your life, my dear brothers and sisters.

You know what you should do. First of all check whether you're born again. That also may not be true that some of you are not born again. Is it possible for somebody to sit in CFC many years and not be born again?

Spiritual Growth and the Evidence of New Birth

Absolutely. I See something, you know, for example, what's the difference between a plant and a rock? If you see a plant and a rock here you come at ten years later. The rock will be the same size. The plant would have become a tree.

And when I see believers sitting in CFC for 10 -20 years and not growing spiritually I say they're dead. A rock is dead. And if they're dead, they're not born again. Born again people grow. All children grow anything that's got life Grows and that's why I say my conviction is there are lots of people in CFC who are not born again.

There's no life in them. They're born again by the standards of the dead Babylonian Christendom not according to God's Word. That's the first thing. The second thing you need to check is Whether you're filled with the Holy Spirit.

Don't be satisfied till God himself gives you an assurance that you're filled with the Holy Spirit. You're missing out on the most important thing on earth. If you're just satisfied that you got acceptance with others in CFC and everybody respects you here.

That's garbage. It's garbage. Just that everybody thinks you're a good brother or sister. What's that worth? I Mean, I don't care for that. I don't care that people respect me in CFC or any other church I want to live before God and say Lord.

What am I going to stand before you and say in the final day that a lot of people respected me garbage? I want to know whether I fulfilled God's purpose on earth and I tell you those are the only ones Who are really going to stand before the Lord with joy in the final day and you may be old.

It doesn't make a difference. You can be a young person and take your Christian life seriously. So I was talking about this meaningless repetition that a lot of people use. When they say hallelujah, hallelujah, and particularly in Pentecostal charismatic circles is very popular.

I think they use more meaningless repetitions of hallelujah than any person on earth. But Jesus told us very clearly when you pray do not use meaningless repetition. For that maybe I should look at that verse there before go to Revelation 19 since some of you may not be Familiar with it.

It's in Matthew chapter 6 the command of Jesus not a suggestion but a command when you pray. Don't be as the hypocrites verse 5. Matthew 6 5 that means don't pray in order to be seen by men. We're to be very careful when we pray in public that I'm really praying to God and Not praying to impress people.

If you check your own prayer, you know when anytime you pray in public I would advise you Go home and ask yourself or immediately after the prayer he finishes. Ask yourself. How much of that prayer did I pray directly to God.

And how much of that prayer was prayed? To impress all the people here you may get a surprise. To be seen by men and secondly he said when you pray. You know Lock yourself up in secret, and we can do that right in a public gathering like this.

Where I shut the door of my mind. To all the people around me. That's one reason we close our eyes. You don't have to close your eyes when you pray. There's no law like that. But the only reason I shut my eyes is to shut off Other distractions, that's the only reason it's like shutting the door and I'm a shut the door of my mind and then pray to God and the other thing he said in verse 7 was Don't use meaningless repetitions.

Hallelujah glory amen those are wonderful words. But what Jesus said is mean it every time you say it you can say hallelujah 20 times a day. Provided you mean it otherwise. It's a meaningless repetition.

Because he says that's the mark of the heathen the heathen use meaningless repetitions and They think they'll be heard because they'd say it so often. You know hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah. It's a mark of a heathen who thinks he's a Christian.

Revelation 19 and the Meaning of Hallelujah

Now when you come to Revelation 19 and see how they say hallelujah in heaven. It's very interesting Revelation 19 it says Not hallelujah full stop. That's the point. Hallelujah means praise the Lord Halil.

It's a Hebrew word. It's not English ya At the end of Halil who ya Halil is praise the Lord ya is short for Jehovah. It's Halil you Jehovah. Hallelujah praise the Lord in Hebrew. So praise the Lord is good.

What are you praising the Lord for? Salvation Revelation 19 to hallelujah because salvation and glory and power belong to our God and Because his judgments are true and righteous and he has judged Babylon the great harlot.

Now, it's very interesting very very interesting. And the first time the word hallelujah comes in the New Testament is Thanking God for destroying harlot Christianity corrupt Babylonian Christianity which was interested in honor and money and worldly values.

And Rejoices and say hallelujah, that's destroyed. I don't know whether we Understand how seriously God takes Corrupt Babylonian Christianity. I also feel there are a lot of people in CFC you think well, we're all Christians, you know, we're all believers.

Well, you got to see heaven's perspective and see how they rejoice when they see this adulterous Christianity and like you've heard me say Babylon is not any particular denomination. So many people for many years would say Babylon was the Roman Catholic Church.

It's very easy to put the blame on them and. But Revelation 18 17 says Babylon the mother has got many harlot and many daughters many daughters. That's exactly what it says Babylon the great mother of harlots mother of harlots and abominations of the earth so there are many daughters of harlots, too and Hallelujah comes the first time in the New Testament in relation to the destruction of harlot Christianity in James and chapter 4 it tells us what harlot Christianity is.

Now so many people have their definitions, but it's good to get it get it from Scripture. James 4 verse 4 you adulterous is. Don't you know? No, who are these adulterous is? If you read the earlier chapters of James, he's talking to believers you beloved brethren.

That's how he addresses them in chapter 2 verse 1 my brethren in some other places beloved brethren my brethren you adulterous is boy, James was these First century apostolic preachers. They were fiery.

They couldn't care less for What people thought about them because they were not paid postage they were not there to Impress people or get a salary or get any approval or get in with invited to some Conference to be a speaker.

They were speaking as God's mouthpiece says my brethren. You harlots you adulterous is James 4 verse 4. He doesn't say what some people are adulterous is you adulterous is don't you know? That friendship with the world is enmity towards God.

And don't you know that anyone who wants to be a friend of this world? Makes himself an enemy of God. So this is harlotry. Harlotry is pretending to be the bride of Jesus Christ, but really being interested in this other man.

Called the world. This is a picture in the Bible of the church is the bride of Jesus Christ. Waiting for her heavenly bridegroom to come. But while she's waiting for the heavenly bridegroom to come if she fools around with the world system.

She's a harlot. That is Babylonian Christianity, and I want to tell you that's not found in any one denomination. It's individual you can be a harlot Christian sitting in the most spiritual church in the world.

Because it's an individual thing. We can't become spiritual by sitting in a spiritual church. Because it's the personal choices you make seven days a week that determine whether you're a spiritual harlot a prostitute or Virgin bride for Jesus Christ.

Hallelujah and the Destruction of Corrupt Christianity

So it's very interesting that hallelujah comes the first time and I wish everybody who said hallelujah on earth today. Would remember that? Hallelujah that corrupt adulterous. Harlot Christianity is going to be destroyed.

Think of that if every time I say hallelujah, I'm going to remember well the first time they say hallelujah in heaven. In the New Testament is when harlot Christianity is destroyed. Is that why I'm saying hallelujah right now.

Very often. It's the opposite man can say hallelujah. I Got more money. There's a danger. I have seen even in a lot of Folks in our own church. I remember the early days when Many of us are very poor.

We had more time for God. We had no money to spend in Restaurants and Television and so many other things like that, but things have changed. You have a lot more money now a lot more time to waste. Going here and there traveling here and there and less time for God less time for scripture.

And if you and one way to do that is check yourself. Compare yourself with you know the olden days when you had less. Maybe your salary was less. Did you read the Bible more those days? Did you have more time for prayer perhaps?

So you see what I'm saying money has a tremendous. It's not an evil thing. Money is a very useful thing. But we got to put it where Jesus put it under his feet if we don't make money our servant Will become harlots.

There's no doubt about it. It's not the amount you earn. It's a question of where it is. Does it sit on your head or is it under your feet? Like they say fire is a good servant. But a very bad master.

You know fire we use it every day in our stoves to cook food. Every day we're using fire you can't cook food without fire either an electric fire or a gas fire. But if you leave it uncontrolled. You burn up your house.

That's why you got to control it. And it's exactly like that if you don't control money and make it your servant say I'm gonna turn you off. When I want to turn you off. Don't you do that with fire you keep it burning whole day in your gas stove.

No, the times when you turn it off and say I'm not gonna be interested in fire now. I've got other things to do. If you can control money like that, it's a wonderful servant. But if you cannot control it I tell you I can tell you in Jesus name it'll destroy you.

It's probably already started destroying you and you don't realize it. It's time to wake up. Because If you have the time you'd read about Babylon in chapter 18, it's all about money. The whole of chapter 18 and at the end of it it comes chapter 19.

Hallelujah. This has been destroyed this corrupt system that corrupted God's people. You say why does God allow it? Because we have to be tested, you know, even Jesus had to be tested with money. Money is part of the glory of this world.

Money, Honor, and Power as Spiritual Tests

Honor it's part of the glory of this world to have power over people. I've seen elders Who want to have power over people. Pastors? Want to rule others who want others to keep consulting them about every little thing to find God's will and All these television preachers who get money out of people.

It's part of this world system, I don't know whether you see that. I know some people in CFC who admire some of these television preachers. Men and women they say boy what wonderful things he teaches what wonderful things she teaches.

But they they they've sat in CFC so long and they are not able to gauge the spirit of these people who are preaching. Imagine spending hours listening to someone and you're not able to gauge his spirit.

What is his spirit? Do you know that that spirit can get into you if you listen to the person long enough? We say well the teaching is so good. Well, that's exactly how the devil comes. The Bible says do you know that the Bible says that Satan's agents are ministers of righteousness?

Have you read that in 2nd Corinthians 11. That Satan's preachers preach righteousness. So how in the world will you distinguish between a servant of God and a servant of Satan? I'll tell you for me. It's very easy.

I say what is that person's attitude to money? That's all I need to find out. That's all I need to ask. I'm amazed that of some of you sitting here after so many years still don't have that Basic discernment and that's why your life is so shallow.

That's why you have not become a mighty man of God or a mighty woman of God after having listened to God's Word for 25 years here. You could have been if you had concentrated on the things that were eternal.

Instead of being fooled. By all these television preachers whom you listen to because they teach something good. They're preaching righteousness read 2nd Corinthians 11. Where Paul says I fear for you?

Because you will not remain a virgin for Christ. You'll be a harlot he says. Because like the devil deceived Eve He will deceive you. By his preachers of righteousness. I would encourage all of you to study 2nd Corinthians 11 and See how he says there.

I Paul he says I want to show that I'm different from all these people by the fact that I'm not interested in money like that. It's a wonderful chapter. I mean if you're serious about being free from the Babylonian spirit and getting some discernment on all these Preachers who preach righteousness, but who don't have the right spirit.

2nd Corinthians 11 is the chapter for you and Revelation chapter 18. See the thing is there are hardly anybody speaking against all these things in our world today. There hardly anybody saying hallelujah this thing's got to be destroyed.

Because everybody loves money everybody loves honor and power. When it says whoever is the friend of the world? He's not talking about worldly people. That's impossible. God so loved the world that he gave his son.

Do you know that God loved the people in the world much more than you and I do? Do you know that Jesus was a friend of sinners much more than any of us is a friend of sinners? It's not wrong to be a friend of sinners.

It's not wrong to be a friend of worldly relatives worldly People in our office and worldly neighbors and worldly Jesus would be friends with all of them. But not one of them would be able to influence him in that direction.

He would influence them towards God. I Mean if you find that your worldly friends are influencing you towards the world, then you better drop them immediately. That's not the type of friend of sinners that we are to be.

But if you are influencing them towards God like Jesus, that's the right way to be friend of sinners. That's the way right way to love the people in the world. But when the New Testament uses the word world it uses it in two different ways.

One is the people of the world and the other is the world system. There's a whole system in this world Which is controlled by the devil from his headquarters in the second heavens and he controls it speaks about these Evil forces in the heavenlies who are controlling like You know like satellites from the heavenlies controlling things on earth can influencing all the media determining how movies are produced and determining how to capture people's minds with Continuous meaningless TV serials in different languages and it looks so innocent.

It's him or if people avoid that to see if we can control them through television preachers. Just make sure That they just get a lot of information in their head. But never overcome sin. You see if you don't believe me, I Don't have cable television.

But I did take it for at least a year to listen to all these TV preachers every single one of them because I wanted to know what Christians in our country are listening to and I listen to every one of them and I'll tell you I never heard from any one of them a single time.

How I could overcome the lust of my eyes and stop lusting after women none of them told. None of them ever told me how to stop raising our book raising my voice and getting overcoming anger against my wife or husband or Anybody else nobody told me that which proves to me that they themselves don't have victory over these things.

None of them ever told me how I could be free from the love of money. None of them ever told me how the Apostle Paul Never took money from people but preached freely. How is it all these important things in Scripture are left out with Jesus and the Apostle speak about.

That's amazing, and I'm surprised. How is it that people in CFC who have heard all these things for ages still admire these preachers? And travel here and there to listen to them imagine that Dear brothers and sisters have you got any discernment or are you like these little babies?

Who put mud and rocks and all in their mouth? Just like Bananas and sweets they'll also put mud and screws and nuts and all in their mouth. I find a lot of CFC people I like that. Oh, that's a good message.

That's a nice tasting screw. Let me put it into my mouth. Oh that mud. It's pretty good taste. I'm amazed at it. I mean I I Mean you're not surprised when a child does it. But imagine if you find a 20 year old chap doing that he says something is wrong.

That's what surprises me new people who come to CFC I say I don't. I'm not surprised if they're taken up by these things because they don't know the difference between mud and good food. But people have been here so long.

How is that. That's why it's important to see this? Her smoke a second time. Verse 2 verse 3 Revelation 19 3 a Second time they said hallelujah again the same subject Babylon's smoke Rises up forever and ever and they all bowed down the 24 elders and said, amen.

Let it be so. It will be so hallelujah. The three hallelujahs the first three hallelujahs in scripture and the 24 elders said amen. Hallelujah are all related to the destruction of Adulterous Christianity and If you wonder why You've heard me all these years speak against it.

It's because I want to be in tune with the elders in heaven. And not the elders on earth. That's why I Want my spirit to be in tune with the elders in heaven, you know, and Have you seen people sometimes?

Tightening a guitar when they are playing together. There's just to make sure it's the right in tune with the other instruments. Otherwise, it'll all sound jarring. One chap is on one key. Another chap is on another.

And I don't want to be jarring. When I speak or when I live I want to be in tune with heaven all the time. And the only way I can be in tune with heaven is if I Read the scriptures, let me exhort you my brothers and sisters what you heard from your early Christian life.

Read the Bible more than you watch television. Read the Bible and study it that'll teach you a lot more. The Holy Spirit can teach you a lot more than all these television preachers and You won't go astray so.

The Bride of the Lamb and Readiness for Christ

Then he goes on to say another hallelujah Revelation 19 and and I were six. I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. And as the sound of mighty waters many waters sound of mighty peals of thunder saying hallelujah again because the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

And The bride of the Lamb has made herself ready. That's the next hallelujah, so you have three hallelujahs for the destruction of Babylon and Then a hallelujah. That the bride there's a little group of people on earth Who have kept themselves for years?

From being polluted by this adulterous spirit in Christianity they were small. In number they were despised. They did not have the money to Spend on getting time on television. It costs millions of rupees.

The Bride of Christ doesn't have that much money. The Apostle Paul wouldn't have had that much money today to Get time on television. And that itself shows me something About the spirit of all these people many people think oh, we are reaching so many people.

Reaching millions reaching millions with what message that's important thing. Is it curing people? What's use having a medical camp to reach millions of people to cure some disease, but the medicine doesn't cure the disease.

You can have statistics. We distributed this medicine to 100 million people. Wonderful did it cure anybody? Did it cure these hundred million people of lusting after women did it cure these hundred million people of anger?

Did it cure these hundred million people of the love of money didn't then what are you saying hundred million people got the medicine? We reached a hundred million people with this message through television.

I'd rather have good medicine and give it to ten people and cure them. I'll tell you honestly and these are things which we have spoken about so often. But I find that. Well, I suppose it's like Jesus said He who has years to hear let him hear.

Some still don't have years to hear because they are still taken up by the worldly attractions. That come with many preachers, so I just want to warn you about that dear brothers and sisters. Don't get a surprise when Christ comes back.

That's all I say. I I see God myself for that. I say Lord I Don't want any surprise when I stand before you. I don't want to be surprised. Hey, I didn't know that. Or boy, you mean that guy was a deceiver.

I thought he was a wonderful preacher was preaching righteousness. I Don't want to get a surprise. I say Lord, please Reveal it to me now exposed to me now the people who will lead me closer to God and The people who will lead me astray with their preaching on righteousness and miracles and all that.

Well, I mean you'll be able to find out yourself by how much All that preaching is helping you to be free from sin in your life and in your family life. It's very easy to find out. Do they convict you?

Of the sins that Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount I mean just read the Sermon on the Mount and do these people convict you about that? I remember in the years when I watched all these TV preachers I never heard one speak on the Sermon on the Mount because there's some difficult verses there.

Don't be anxious three times in the Sermon on the Mount. Don't judge others. How much do people speak about backbiting? About total purity in our mind. How many of you are interested in total purity in your mind tell me?

How many of you are interested in total control of your tongue? I? Am I'm totally interested in that. I've been interested in for many many years. I want total freedom from the love of money. I've been interested in that for many many years and that's why God has shown me certain things.

Which I find many people never see. I Say well, I suppose they are not so interested in total freedom from sickness as I am. Spiritual sickness I mean. So here's the contrast the fourth hallelujah is praise God.

There's a bride That's kept herself from this revelation 19 hallelujah for the Lord our God 19 six the last part the Lord our God the Almighty reigns and let us rejoice and be glad because The bride marriage of the Lamb has come the bride has made herself ready.

That means she's kept herself as a virgin in spite of this handsome rich man called the world. Constantly tempting her throughout her life. Jesus was tempted with the glory of the world. It was the third temptation in the wilderness.

It says the devil showed Jesus all the glory of the world. I mean and it's called a temptation. The Bible itself calls it a temptation and it says in Luke for the Holy Spirit led Jesus to be tempted. So when you're tempted Remember, it's the Holy Spirit who leads you there.

Jesus’ Temptation and the Misuse of Spiritual Gifts

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into temptation. It wasn't the devil who led Jesus into temptation. It's very clear the Holy Spirit Led Jesus into the wilderness. Luke 4 to be tempted by the devil. Will the Holy Spirit lead you Into the wilderness.

To be tempted by the devil. Don't we sing follow follow. I will follow Jesus anywhere everywhere. I will follow him, right? Well, here it is Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 4 1 was led by the Spirit in the wilderness and for 40 days He was tempted by the devil who took him into the wilderness not the devil the Holy Spirit.

After he was filled with the Spirit. He was taken into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit For 40 days to be tempted by the devil and the devil tempted him for 40 days. I Don't know what all temptations he faced there.

But at the end of 40 days you see the three final temptations. Those are mentioned there one is to use his supernatural power To feed himself. Turn the stones into bread same temptation. I remember years ago when I was You know preaching the word God said to me never use the supernatural anointing.

I've given you To get things for yourself. That's the first temptation. You've been anointed Jesus use your power use your supernatural power to get bread for yourself. He said no, don't use the anointing you have To get honor for yourself to get money for yourself or bread for yourself anything and I find that that is the first temptation at which almost all preachers have fallen almost all that I know of.

They are either seeking money or honor one of the two or position with their gift who gave them that gift God. That would be like Jesus using the gift. God gave him to turn the stones into bread. He didn't do it.

That's harlotry. That's the first step towards harlotry. Spiritual harlotry and that's what's happened to most people. You see you may not be seeking money, but you can come to the church and seek honor for what you do.

Maybe you have a little gift that you're using In the church or doing something and you want some honor for it you want some respect for it some God-given ability God gave you and You use it to get honor for yourself, you're no better than those pastors who make money for themselves.

Absolutely no better the honor that should go to God you take to yourself. It's a sin. Don't glory that. Oh, I don't take money for my services in the church brother. Sister, do you get honor you're seeking for that?

It's no better. Just the same thing it's just another type of currency honor. So there's a lot of involved in these temptations if you meditate on them and you think about it the devil was was very subtle and clever and then he tempted him with Jump down from the roof of the temple and And Claim the promises of God this is this another type of stupidity that the devil tells Believers to do you know.

When there are stairs in the temple, there's no need to jump use the stairs. So Jesus said I'll use the stairs if I want to go down. Why should I jump? Why should I jump and do some type of magic to perform the angels try to protect me.

This is how some Christians and I've had one or two cases even in CFC in past years. We say when we are sick, we won't take medicine. We'll trust God to heal us. Medicines are like the stairs God has provided to come down and be healed.

No, we'll jump off and ask claim a promise. Stupidity. Now if you're in some jungle where no medicine is available. There are no stairs then jump and God will protect you. He will heal you. I believe that.

The point is use means but you say the Bible says there are examples. Yeah, there are examples. Do you know in one place in Acts 8? It says God lifted Philip up. Took him to another place. Supposing you say Lord, I want to travel to that place.

Please do what you did for Philip. It won't work you'll be sitting where you are. When God has provided Trains and buses and many means of transport. Why don't you use them? This is him is using medicine.

The stupidity of sort of people who want to say I want to show my faith. I'm gonna trust God do something spectacular. That's the aim of the devil then you can testify about it then you can talk about it and say see what I did.

You know, there's a great temptation the temp the basic temptation in that second temptation was do something spectacular. In the name of the Lord and then you can talk about it and say, you know I jumped off the temple and the angels protected me and I came down without being harmed and the people at the Bottom of the temple would see this person descending.

Like as if he had a parachute and then say boy How did you come down like that? Get some honor, but it wouldn't have happened if Jesus had jumped down. He'd have broken his head. He knew that. But that's what a lot of people want to do.

You know, you do something maybe you do something wonderful and you follow Jesus in some way and then you talk about it of Of What a wonderful thing you did and the whole purpose is to get some honor for yourself not to glorify God.

That's how great God is. But you know, I had faith. And I did this and at the end of it. Everybody's admiring you for your faith or your devotion or your sacrifice or the way you took up the cross and Is it right to give a testimony.

Paul gave a testimony and many times you read about testimonies and scripture the apostles gave but Not a testimony that brings honor to oneself. And if you are trying to do something and you want to talk about it later on In a way to show other people what a man of God you are.